[[Image:Banaue.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Rice terraces at Cambolo near Banaue]]

[[Image:Banaue.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Rice terraces at Cambolo near Banaue]]

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'''Banaue''' is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of [[Luzon]], in the [[Philippines]]. It is mainly visited for its stunning rice terraces, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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'''Banaue'''[http://www.visitmyphilippines.com/index.php?title=Banaue&func=all&pid=1615] is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of [[Luzon]], in the [[Philippines]]. It is mainly visited for its stunning rice terraces, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

==Get in==

==Get in==

===By bus===

===By bus===

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Getting to Banaue directly might take a lot of effort if you're not taking a direct route from [[Manila]] or if you don't have a tour agency to help you. There are few possible ways to get to Banaue &mdash;

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Getting to Banaue directly might take a lot of effort if you're not taking a direct route from [[Manila]] or if you don't have a tour agency to help you. Here are few possible ways to get to Banaue &mdash;

'''Manila''' - '''Banaue''' (direct),

'''Manila''' - '''Banaue''' (direct),

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* <listing name="Ohayami Trans" alt="" address="Lacson Ave. cor. Fajardo St., Sampaloc, Manila" directions="Just near University of Sto. Tomas or take the train from the Legarda Station then just take a trickshaw to the terminal" phone="+63-9276493055, +63-09175617344, 02-5160501" url="http://www.ohayamitrans.com" hours="9-10 hrs" price="₱450" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">Provides trips directly to Banaue. They have three daily trips - 9pm, 9:45pm and 10pm leaving their terminal in Manila </listing>

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* <listing name="Ohayami Trans" alt="" address="Lacson Ave. cor. Fajardo St., Sampaloc, Manila" directions="Just near University of Sto. Tomas or take the train from the Legarda Station then just take a trickshaw to the terminal" phone="+63 927 649 3055, +63 917 561 7344, +63 2 516-0501" url="http://www.ohayamitrans.com" hours="" price="₱450" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">Provides trips directly to Banaue. They have three daily trips - 21:00, 21:45 and 22:00 leaving their terminal in Manila and taking 9-10&nbsp;hrs</listing>

* <listing name="KMS" alt="" address="Near Rizal Park, Baguio City" directions= phone=09159471440 url= hours="7 hrs" price="₱400" lat="" long="" email="" fax=""> Provides a mini-bus trip from Baguio to Banaue. They have two daily trips - 8:00am & 9:30pm. </listing> The first may be a good choice if you don't like overnight buses or want to enjoy the very scenic drive during the day.

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* <listing name="KMS" alt="" address="Near Rizal Park, Baguio City" directions= phone=09159471440 url= hours="7 hrs" price="₱400" lat="" long="" email="" fax=""> Provides a mini-bus trip from Baguio to Banaue. They have two daily trips: 08:00 and 21:30. </listing> The first may be a good choice if you don't like overnight buses or want to enjoy the very scenic drive during the day.

'''Manila''' - '''Baguio''' - '''Bontoc''' - '''Banaue.

'''Manila''' - '''Baguio''' - '''Bontoc''' - '''Banaue.

Line 20:

Line 20:

'''Manila - Solano, Nueva Vizcaya - Banaue ifugao''' - buses heading to Tuguegarao (e.g. Baliwag transit, Victory,Florida transport inc., etc.) pass by the town of Solano. Several jeepneys ply the Solano-Banaue route or the Solano-Lagawe, Ifugao route. From Lagawe, one can then take another jeepney to Banaue.

'''Manila - Solano, Nueva Vizcaya - Banaue ifugao''' - buses heading to Tuguegarao (e.g. Baliwag transit, Victory,Florida transport inc., etc.) pass by the town of Solano. Several jeepneys ply the Solano-Banaue route or the Solano-Lagawe, Ifugao route. From Lagawe, one can then take another jeepney to Banaue.

The distance between the Balintawak Cloverleaf, in north Manila at the beginning of the North Luzon Expressway and the ''Welcome to Banaue'' sign, is about 332 km. The road is paved all the way to Banaue. Travel time can be as long as 9 hours due to the several blind curves through the mountains.

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The distance between the Balintawak Cloverleaf, in north Manila at the beginning of the North Luzon Expressway and the ''Welcome to Banaue'' sign, is about 332&nbsp;km. The road is paved all the way to Banaue. Travel time can be as long as 9&nbsp;hr due to the several blind curves through the mountains.

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Best day to travel is on good Friday of Lenten season, Christmas day and new year's day. It will take about 7 hours only by car with a reliable driver.

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Best day to travel is on good Friday of Lenten season, Christmas day and new year's day. It will take about 7&nbsp;hr only by car with a reliable driver.

==Get around==

==Get around==

Line 46:

Line 46:

==Do==

==Do==

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*<do name="Contact the Tourist Information Center" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="+63 74 386-4010/4011" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">When reaching Banaue, a good idea is to check the tourist information centre near the market. They have maps for P25 of the area and they can help you with finding public transport to the places you want to get to.

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*<do name="Contact the Tourist Information. Charles kimmayong" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="09265512930" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">When reaching Banaue, a good idea is to check the tourist information centre near the market. They have maps for P25 of the area and they can help you with finding public transport to the places you want to get to.

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or a private transport and they can also provide guides around Banaue.</do>

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or a private transport.and they will provide guide also around Banaue.</do>

Revision as of 22:14, 28 February 2013

Rice terraces at Cambolo near Banaue

Banaue[1] is a town on the Cordillera mountain range in the north of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. It is mainly visited for its stunning rice terraces, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Contents

Get in

By bus

Getting to Banaue directly might take a lot of effort if you're not taking a direct route from Manila or if you don't have a tour agency to help you. Here are few possible ways to get to Banaue —

Manila - Banaue (direct),

Ohayami Trans, Lacson Ave. cor. Fajardo St., Sampaloc, Manila (Just near University of Sto. Tomas or take the train from the Legarda Station then just take a trickshaw to the terminal), ☎+63 927 649 3055, +63 917 561 7344, +63 2 516-0501, [2]. Provides trips directly to Banaue. They have three daily trips - 21:00, 21:45 and 22:00 leaving their terminal in Manila and taking 9-10 hrs₱450.

KMS, Near Rizal Park, Baguio City, ☎09159471440. 7 hrs. Provides a mini-bus trip from Baguio to Banaue. They have two daily trips: 08:00 and 21:30. ₱400. The first may be a good choice if you don't like overnight buses or want to enjoy the very scenic drive during the day.

Manila - Baguio - Bontoc - Banaue.

There are jeepneys going from Bontoc to Banaue and even Sagada to Banaue during peak season or holidays.

Manila - Solano, Nueva Vizcaya - Banaue ifugao - buses heading to Tuguegarao (e.g. Baliwag transit, Victory,Florida transport inc., etc.) pass by the town of Solano. Several jeepneys ply the Solano-Banaue route or the Solano-Lagawe, Ifugao route. From Lagawe, one can then take another jeepney to Banaue.

By car

The distance between the Balintawak Cloverleaf, in north Manila at the beginning of the North Luzon Expressway and the Welcome to Banaue sign, is about 332 km. The road is paved all the way to Banaue. Travel time can be as long as 9 hr due to the several blind curves through the mountains.

Best day to travel is on good Friday of Lenten season, Christmas day and new year's day. It will take about 7 hr only by car with a reliable driver.

Get around

Jeepneys (converted jeeps/bus) and tricycles (trikes) (little motorcycles with side cars) are easily available around Banaue. Vans can be hired with driver/guide. Expect to hike some to great places to see that are not on the roads.

There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue-Batad (Saddle-point) (start of trek to Batad village) route daily. See Get Out, below for more info.

See

Sign in Banaue describing the rice terraces.

Rice terraces. Sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the 2000 years old Banaue rice terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and while many are still in use today, the outer rims are showing signs of deterioration. They were created by the Ifugao (local native people), in a massive engineering project to cover the sides of the valleys (probably 200 meters from floor to rim) for several miles, irrigated by means of mountain streams and springs that have been tapped and channelled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces.

Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture, ☎011-63-919-774-8507, [4]. The Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture was founded by George and Candida Ida Schenk over 30 years ago, and evolved from a small antique store in Manilla, into dream to preserve a culture that is slowly dying. There are over 1,000 pieces in the collection of the Museum, ranging from large-scale, carved wooden Bululs, masks to smaller scale figures, textiles, utilitarian objects, and composite objects

Ifugao carving at Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture

Viewpoint. On the road to Bontoc, there is a lot of viewpoints with beautiful panoramas on the rice terraces. Walking from Banaue up to to main view point will take 1 to 2 hours, depending how often you stop to enjoy the superb view. Try to go as far as possible from Banaue: the higher yoou will go, the more beautiful it will be! Count P100 by tricycle from Banaue. From there it's possible to go down by foot to Banaue through the rice terraces (2-3 hours) but the way is quite difficult and you may need a guide for this walk.(16.9188889,121.0588889)

Do

Contact the Tourist Information Center, ☎+63 74 386-4010/4011. When reaching Banaue, a good idea is to check the tourist information centre near the market. They have maps for P25 of the area and they can help you with finding public transport to the places you want to get to. or a private transport and they can also provide guides around Banaue.

Ilob Village Inn, (Poblacion, Banaue, 1 km from bus terminals). Native Ifugao house with restaurant, surrounded with rice terraces. You can also request to see a traditional Ifugao show.

Drink

Native rice wine or sugarcane wine at all inns and lodges.

Sleep

The grand old lady, Banaue Hotel, is probably the priciest option you'll find but offers regular cultural shows in the evenings (Ifugao dance and music) that are also open to non-guests. The pool is small but a nice place to hang out when you're tired of trekking up and down rice terraces.

Closer to town, there are a multitude of hostels and guesthouses offering much more reasonably priced accommodations.

Native Village Inn, Uhaj village, 9 km from Banaue, ☎(63)9164056743, [7]. Lovely view but the road getting there is, at present, not yet paved. And please make sure that you have a ride going to the area and back to Banaue Proper, prior to checking-inn. There are not a lot of available transportation going through the area. So its important to do make sure you have proper transportation to assist you.)

Sanafe Lodge and Restaurant, (next door to the market), ☎6374-386-4085, [8]. Nice balcony at the back with pleasant views. Basic but comfortable rooms, plus a dormitory.

Banaue View Inn, ☎(6374) 386-40-78.

Halfway Lodge, (From the tourism turn back on it and go down the street on the left. It's the third lodge of the street.), ☎(6374) 3864082. checkin: 10am; checkout: 10am. P250 for a room with shared bathroom, when you stay more than one night.

Contact

There are several internet cafes around the town, the rate ranges from 50 to 20 pesos per hour.

Stay Safe

Guides: Some of the more popular treks are easy to do on your own, while others require guides. For a detailed list of popular treks and guide recommendations go here.

Flashlights: Banaue and the surrounding villages have poor lighting at night. Be sure to bring a torch.

Get out

If you need any help with finding local public transport, head to the Tourist Information or ask around the marketplace.

Batad. While the rice terraces of Banaue are mud-walled, those of Batad are stone-walled. They form an amphitheatre and are an impressive sight. Fifteen km. on bad roads, followed by a 40 minute downhill hike, but worth it. There are a number of hostels and guest houses in the small village there, overlooking the rice terraces. If weather and time permit, Batad is probably a better place to spend the night than Banaue. There is a public jeepney plying the Banaue to Saddle Point (start of 40 minutes trek to Batad village) route daily. Banaue to Saddle Point is around 2-4 pm while the Saddle Point to Banaue jeepney is around 9-10am. They may take extra trips during the peak season (e.g. Holy week). Head on to the Banaue public market and ask around. Fare is P150 for tourists while the locals pay P45. If you do not have time to spend the night in Batad, it is also possible to do it as a day trip. During busier times (public holidays, extended weekends), extra jeepneys will go up to Batad Saddle in the morning (7-8am, P150). Hike down to Batad village (40 minutes) from the Saddle, have lunch there overlooking the rice terraces and hike up back to the Saddle. Rented jeepneys that bring people to Batad will leave empty back to Banaue, so they will gladly take you with them for the normal P150 fare. In case you do not find any jeepneys or other people that might take you with them to Banaue (just ask around), you can hike down for 2 hours to reach the main road at Batad Junction. More public jeepneys will ply that route and you can make it back to Banaue from there. In the worst case scenario, Batad to Banaue is a 16km walk, mostly downhill.

Bangaan. An alternative to Batad and easier to access, since it is only a 20 minutes walk from the main road towards Mayoyao.

Hapao. A half-day trip from Banaue. More terraces. Steep steps lead down to some, giving easy access for a close-hand inspection. Near Hapao there is also a hot spring (45 minutes from the main road), where you can bathe. You can get to Hapao by using public transport that travels the route Banaue - Hungduan.

Mayoyao. There is a bus that plies the route Banaue-Mayoyao at 12pm and reaches Mayoyao at around 4pm.

Bontoc and Sagada. Bontoc is a busy town but has an excellent museum of Ifugao culture. Sagada has the impressive Sumaging limestone cave (take a change of clothes and leave your best shoes in Banaue), the Burial Cave (Lumiang) and hanging coffins. En route to Bontoc you pass the incredibly beautiful Bayo terraces. There is a jeep at 8-9am from Banaue to Bontoc, and vans around 11am, 12am and 1pm. During busier times there are some jeepneys that go all the way to Sagada, but this depends on the demand. Otherwise change to a jeepney in Bontoc to get to Sagada (50 minutes, P45). By hiring a van in Banaue (ask in your hotel) you can visit these two centres as a day trip.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!